How to Eat Old School

The folks at Eater, who like to map everything edible in the City, ask my to pick out of selection of old guard dishes from New York City's most venerable restaurants. Mutton Chops at Keen's, Pastrami on Rye at Katz's, that sort of thing. Such a task is a pleasure for me, so I was happy to do it. Thanks to Zachary Feldman for putting the post together. Here's the intro. You'll have to jump to Eater to read the rest, because the layout is too complex for me to copy here.

What are the makings of an iconic dish? While the critics and blogs dole out "least favorite food trend" memes annually, these stalwarts—provided, with commentary, by the erudite Brooks of Sheffield of our Who Goes There? column and the erstwhile Lost City—have stood the test of time to help define and inspire the city's ever-changing culinary landscape. Noteworthy dishes that offer something beyond the pizza, cupcakes, burgers, and fried chicken that seem to have strong-armed the market, you won't find this food on a truck anytime soon.- Zachary Feldman

Edison Cafe Loses Its Host

Sad News. Harry Edelstein, longtime proprietor of the theatre district coffee shop and hangout, the Edison Cafe, has died at 91.

He and his wife Frances opened the diner in 1980 and it quickly became the favored chowhouse of people like August Wilson and Neil Simon, not to mention plenty of poor young actors. He was a gracious, jolly, no-frills host who served up a mean bowl of matzo ball soup.

He wife Frances remains, as does his son-in-law, Conrad Stahl, who has done the heavy lifting at the cafe for many years. So the tradition will continue. But sad to see him go. He served the theatre community and the City well.

Shining the Greasy Spoon

Paid a call on the Edison Cafe—aka The Polish Tea Room—for the usual bowl of matzo ball soup, and noticed a brighter, cleaner vibe to the whole place. Sure enough, the diner is in the midst of a paint job. The peach-pink walls have been replaced by a calmer, soothing, creamy tan. The intricate scroll work has been kept white. It looks like the painters paid a great deal of attention to detail and I applaud their work. The place looks swell and hasn't lost an ounce of its character.

The day I visited, the lunch traffic was brisk. I mean the place was packed. No wonder, since there is virtually nowhere else to go in the neighborhood for a good, cheap lunch anymore.

Old Guys Eating Soup at the Edison Cafe

It's what you want to see.

I certainly don't blame them for eating the soup. The old theatre hangout's matzo ball soup may be the best in the City. It's certainly my favorite. And it's served on plates that actually say Edison Hotel—no Fishs Eddy irony intended.

A sign near the cash register said that Harry and Frances Edelstein, owners of the place, are new grandparents. Frances herself, a woman of unknown age, was running the register, though she had to hold the receipt one inch from her eyes before she knew what to charge. Hopefully, she'll hang on until that grandkid can learn the ropes.